Quick answer: Dicing Borosilicate Glass covers Borosilicate Glass (CTE 3.3 x 10^-6 /K, 360 nm – 2.0 um); Dicing to +/-0.01 mm index accuracy. Prototypes ship in 5-10 working days.
Ask any process engineer what makes borosilicate glass difficult and the answer is specific: sheet stock carries more thickness variation than float wafer stock, so lapping is often the first step. Our dicing line is tooled around exactly that – automatic dicing saws with resin and metal-bond blades – holding +/-0.01 mm index accuracy on parts from 0.05 – 3 mm thick.
Specification envelope
| Material | Borosilicate Glass (3.3 expansion group per ISO 3585) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 3.3 x 10^-6 /K |
| Service temperature | 450 C continuous |
| Transmission range | 360 nm – 2.0 um |
| Density | 2.23 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | 480 kg/mm2 |
| Refractive index | 1.473 @ 587 nm |
| Stock thickness | 0.50 – 30 mm |
| Maximum blank size | 600 x 400 mm |
| Process | Dicing |
| Working tolerance | +/-0.01 mm index accuracy |
| Minimum feature | 30 um kerf |
| Surface finish | edge chipping under 15 um |
| Thickness window | 0.05 – 3 mm |
| Edge condition | saw edge, optional etch relief |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
Manufacturing capability
The core strength of Dicing is singulating wafers into dies with tight index accuracy and low chipping. The honest limit: straight-line cuts only; contours route to laser cutting instead. Both belong on the drawing before quoting, not after.
One material, many routes: on Borosilicate Glass we also quote laser cutting, edge grinding, etching, grinding, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Getting the drawing right
The shop-floor rules that matter here:
- Material note: sheet stock carries more thickness variation than float wafer stock, so lapping is often the first step.
- Process boundary: straight-line cuts only; contours route to laser cutting instead.
- Over-specification is the quiet budget killer: a 20/10 scratch-dig face costs roughly three times an 80/50 face, so grade each surface individually.
For the complete framework, see the tolerance design guide and the holes and edges design guide.
Typical applications
Orders for dicing borosilicate glass cluster in medical diagnostics (flow cells, slides, microplate bottoms, cuvette windows); scientific instruments (reference flats, cells, prism mounts, stage inserts); laboratory instruments (cuvettes, sight glasses, stir-cell windows). Background reading on the underlying material science: ISO 3585 borosilicate glass 3.3.
Dimensions still moving? Configure this part live in the 3D + 2D builder below, or open the full custom glass machining 3D + 2D builder to start from a blank canvas.
Useful companion pages: material selection guide, wafer dicing process, glass in laser systems.
Buyer questions, answered
What equipment runs the dicing work?
Automatic dicing saws with resin and metal-bond blades.
Is there a minimum order for dicing borosilicate glass?
No. Single prototypes are accepted, and pricing steps down at 10, 100 and 1,000 pieces.
How fast can prototypes ship?
Machined prototypes ship in 5 – 10 working days. Coated or bonded parts add 1 – 2 weeks depending on queue slots.
What files do you need for a quote?
A dimensioned PDF plus DXF or STEP geometry. If only a sketch exists, our drawing review service formalizes it before quoting.
Do parts ship with inspection data?
Dimensional reports, surface certificates and material certs per melt are available; specify the level on the RFQ.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in September 2026.